Drawing. The Bottom Line.

Drawing. The Bottom Line´ presents drawing related work of 54 international artists. Drawing has always been there, will ever be there, and becomes particular present in times of crisis. Once described as the mother of all arts drawing lies at the bottom of all artistic activities. The freedom of art lives in drawing. ´Drawing. The Bottom Line´ embraces the singular practices of all participating artists, whose approach derives out a drawing, or where the history and conventions of the medium find a particular reflection. The presented work hovers between quick sketch and complex construction, between explosive expression and controlled stasis, and, essentially between fast and slow, since drawing is the medium of absorbed time. As most elegant parasite amongst the media drawing stays immune towards many Zeitgeist-attacks, from material patina to the hunger of the curator. A drawing trace can lead you far out to another century in the same way as it can sketch the beginning of something new. Drawing jumps from diary to film, from thought to narration, from material to idea, and from study to mastery, such as the artists wants. They can let it dig deep into their minds as they can make it touch the ground. Because every picture starts with a separation, which is a line.
Drawing. The Bottom Line includes contributions by John Berger, Martin Germann, Philippe Van Cauteren, and short-text introductions by approximately 40 international experts in the field of drawing, mainly selected by the invited artists.
SMAK Ghent, 9 October - 31 January 2015
Artist: Adel Abdessemed, Tomma Abts, Francis Alÿs, William Anastasi, Anna Barriball, Marc Bauer, Thomas Bogaert, Monica Bonvicini, Michaël Borremans, Andrea Bowers, Manon de Boer, Thierry De Cordier, Edith Dekyndt, Johan De Wilde, Tacita Dean, Trisha Donnelly, Ellen Gallagher, Andrea Galiazzo, Nikolaus Gansterer, Julian Göthe, Roni Horn, Henri Jacobs, Mark Lombardi, Nick Mauss, Mark Manders, Paul McCarthy, Lucy McKenzie, Julie Mehretu, Matt Mullican, Marc Nagtzaam, Jockum Nordström, Henrik Olesen, Gabriel Orozco, Raymond Pettibon, Chloe Piene, Carol Rama, Robin Rhode, Salam Atta Sabri, Thomas Schütte, Mithu Sen, Jim Shaw, Paul Sietsema, Alexandre Singh, Bart Stolle, Elly Strik, Ante Timmermans, Rosemarie Trockel, Ignacio Uriarte, Erik Van Lieshout, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Sandra Vasquez de la Horra, Jorinde Voigt and Kemang Wa Lehulere.